Dance Mix by Leo's Dancewear

Solution:	"We have a student who began teaching a trio of 4th graders last year at the age of 14. She did a great job on it and is choreographing two more dances for us this year." - Jenny, MI
Solution:	"I do not let my student dancers choreograph class numbers. However, I do have sporadic classes throughout the year (usually around the holidays) where I allow them to experiment by giving them some time in class to choreograph and then “perform” their short piece for each other. I let my 9-10 through 15-18 year old classes participate in this. Another fantastic idea I came up with this year is to hold a choreography class. Anyone, aged 13+ can sign up. The class meets weekly for 45 minutes just as my other classes do. Students need to be enrolled in another class at the studio – this cannot be their only class. During the first 3 months, they learn several aspects of choreography: staging, movement, space, costuming, working with different abilities, appropriate music, etc. The students make up their own short piece of a dance in their style (tap, jazz, ballet, modern, etc.) and then they have a class where everyone auditions their own piece. The “winner” of the audition has their piece put into our recital as this year's student choreographed piece – quite an honor. During the remainder of the year, the piece is worked on, developed, improved on the same schedule as my teachers' works. There is a teacher in this class at all times and they are in charge of all warm-ups and keeping the fluidity of the class." - Cynthia., MN
Solution:	"Giving your young students a choreography project is a great way to involve them in their own education. A few ideas: • My young tappers (7-8 years old) have been working on shim shams - the rhythm, the concept. I asked them to create their own shim sham combo. I gave them 2 weeks and then we shared them in class. They were so pleased to show them to their fellow dancers and me - and they will now, forever, know a shim sham when they hear or see one! • I've had my junior ballerinas (usually 10+ years old) create a barre exercise. We put “steps” (plies, tendu plie, tendus from 5 th , ronde jambe, etc,) in a hat and everyone picks one. They also have to choose musical accompaniment. Then each of them presents their “step” to the class and we have a new barre! You'd be amazed at some of the combinations they come up with. At this level, they are also required to notate the steps on paper. • My oldest/advanced dancers (14+ years old) are also apprentices/junior teachers. We do 2 tours a year to nursing homes, senior homes, etc. They are given choreography projects by technique: ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and lyrical by level. They have to choose music, choreograph a piece, notate on paper, and teach it to the rest of the staff. I make any necessary changes to notation and general choreography, but they do a really spectacular job. At each of our stops on the tours, we make sure to tell our audiences who choreographed each dance. Our students' self-esteem gets a much-deserved shot and the experience is invaluable to them. Good Luck!" - Lisa S., MI